The Golden Joystick Awards 2025: Clair Obscur Shines with Seven Wins
Dubai: It's not just about the awards; it's the thrill of witnessing your favorite game take home trophy after trophy. But when a game not only wins but also makes history, that pride swells even more. At the 43rd Golden Joystick Awards, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 did just that, sweeping seven awards and tying the record set by Baldur's Gate 3 in 2023.
The Big Wins
The French-made RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 walked away with some of the night's most prestigious honors: Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, and Best Soundtrack. Developer Sandfall Interactive earned Studio of the Year, while the game's stars, Jennifer English and Ben Starr, took home Best Lead Performer and Best Supporting Performer, respectively.
That's seven awards total, matching the impressive haul that Baldur's Gate 3 achieved in 2023, which itself had beaten The Last of Us Part 2's six-award record from 2020.
The Underdog Story
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the story behind it. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was created by a core team of just 30 people working out of Sandfall Interactive's offices in Montpellier, France. This wasn't a massive studio with unlimited resources; it was a passionate team making their debut game.
Inspired by classic turn-based RPGs, the game stunned critics with its compelling storyline, engaging battles, and outstanding performances. The fact that three actors from the game, Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, and Jennifer English, were all nominated for best performance speaks volumes about the quality Sandfall had achieved. Players of the game praise the game's voice acting as some of the best they've witnessed.
Chasing Legends
While Clair Obscur's seven-award haul is impressive, there's still one gaming giant ahead of them. The Witcher 3 remains the biggest-ever Golden Joystick winner with ten awards total, which were five from its 2015 release, three more for its Blood & Wine expansion in 2016, and two Most Wanted awards claimed before launch. That record seems safe for now, but if Sandfall can achieve this much with their first game, who knows what they'll accomplish next?
Other Notable Winners
The night wasn't just about Clair Obscur. Ghost of Yōtei claimed Console Game of the Year and Best Audio Design, while Hollow Knight: Silksong, the long-awaited sequel that crashed online stores upon release, won PC Game of the Year and Best Indie Game (Self-Published). GTA 6 and PEAK also scored two awards each.
Looking Ahead
The Golden Joystick Awards are often seen as a preview of what's to come at The Game Awards, the industry's biggest night, which will be held on December 11 and will hand out prizes across 29 categories this year. If Clair Obscur's Golden Joystick success is any indication, we might be watching Sandfall Interactive's debut continue its victory lap.
For now, though, the gaming world is celebrating an underdog story that reminds us why we love this industry: a small team with a big vision can still compete with and beat the biggest names in gaming.
